PO Boxes don't receive boxes?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by cookderosa, May 18, 2016.

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  1. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    If I have a PO Box, I know I can have my mail sent there, but where can a person have larger boxes received and held for me to pick up later?

    I assumed this would be a common business need with so much ecommerce happening, but I've spent the better part of an hour without anything more than a few elite companies serving major cities (Amazon Locker, Postman, etc.).

    What am I missing? Maybe I'm not using the right phrase? Any tips would be appreciated!
     
  2. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    When my wife was doing a lot of business on eBay, she had a box at a Mailboxes, Etc. where she'd get packages of all sizes. The only drawback is that anything that won't fit into the actual box has to be picked up during business hours (most of them have 24-hour access to the boxes).
     
  3. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    thanks! I'll check again, for some reason, my local store didn't look like this was an option.
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    In my small town Post Office many (most) people have a p.o. box. Packages too large to fit in the box are simply held "behind the counter" until you pick them up. Typically they put a little card in your box to alert you that you have a package waiting.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 18, 2016
  5. perrymk

    perrymk Member

    My experience is dated so the rules may have changed, but here it goes.

    USPS Post Office boxes can receive packages but only those sent through the USPS. They do/did not accept package from FedEx, UPS, etc. Packages too large for the po box are either transferred to a locker (key left in your po box) or held behind the counter (note left in po box).

    Private boxes such as Mailboxes Etc will provide an actual street address (one can even refer to their box as "Unit" or "Apt") so can receive packages from USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.
     
  6. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Yeah, UPS won't deliver to a P.O. Box. I had a problem with Amazon for a while because they wouldn't switch from UPS to USPS for my deliveries.
     
  7. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    I have a box at a UPS Store which does receive deliveries from UPS, FedEx or any other courier who refuses to deliver to a PO Box. Mine costs about $110 a year but it has been worth it. I was having a very serious issue with mail theft at my previous place. I doubt I'd have the same issues at my present address but it's just nice to have the peace of mind that my amazon deliveries will be waiting for me.

    Private mailbox stores, not just UPS, are a good option. They provide a street address and a PMB rather than a P.O. Box.

    Considering how the USPS is hurting for money at this stage I would think they would flex a bit on the package delivery piece.

    PMBs are also more private.
     
  8. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    neuhaus: "Considering how the USPS is hurting for money..."

    John: Did you notice that first class postage rates actually decreased about 4% a few weeks ago, first drop in nearly 100 years. They were ordered to do so by the Regulatory Commission, whose Department of Voodoo Economics decided they were profitable.
     
  9. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    The Post Office is against it. It was a temporary decrease that expired. It will cost them billions.

    I don't understand it, except that the decision-makers might be interested in killing the post office and privatizing it. The increase made the post office profitable, which is what I thought the whole idea was about. I guess not.

    Stupid, stupid, stupid. (Or devious....)
     
  10. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    Just for the record . . . In the 2000s, the USPS did two things which were of immense value to the operators of degree mills.

    One was to make it nearly impossible for people like me to get the real street address of a P O Boxholder. Used to be gettable under Freedom of Information Act; now requires a court order.

    Two was to remove the requirement that people using private boxes (like UPS Store) had to identify them as "PMB" so that you knew it was a box. Now you can do anything you d**n well please with a number: Box 17, Suite 17, 17th floor, Building 17, etc.
     
  11. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Devious. As you know, there has been a long term plan to kill the post office and privatize it. Not a good thing.
     
  12. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    So, I actually found a workaround. I can receive any type of mail or package by using a local company that has set me up with a "virtual office." It's actually very reasonable considering the convenience. They email me whenever I have a delivery. In my area, this service ranges from $30/month to $99/month depending on what you need and the "prestige level" of your address.

    For what I needed, this solves ALL my problems!

    Thanks everyone
     

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